La Grange is site of AT&T model store

Facility opening in former Borders

La Grange is the debut location for a new style of store that David Fine of AT&T said will feel more like someone's home. (Wes Venteicher, Chicago Tribune)

A La Grange AT&T retail store is debuting a new look that the company plans to roll out at stores throughout the country.

The store, which features sections styled after rooms in a home, is scheduled to open Thursday.

"Technology can be intimidating for people, but when we put them in a friendly, comfortable environment, we show them how technology can enhance their lives," said Dave Fine of AT&T.

La Grange Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin said it serves as a good anchor for the La Grange Crossing complex — a former Borders Books location at the corner of La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue that now hosts a handful of new businesses.

"From an economic perspective, and from quite frankly an entertainment perspective, I think people will be happy to have it," Benjamin said.

The business should also help boost local sales taxes, he added.

Along with phones and tablets, the store's retail offerings include headphones, speakers, wireless phone chargers, a fitness monitor and other devices.

The store's interior features wood paneling, orange-and-white counters and walls, and is lighted in places by large hanging silver-colored bulbs. In a kitchen-styled area, a display screen teaches customers about AT&T's home automation system, which allows people to use their digital devices to do things like unlock doors or adjust temperatures remotely. Another section includes a couch facing a flat-screen TV, showcasing AT&T's wireless television programming.

Customers are encouraged to talk with one another about the items, Fine said. Store staff will complete transactions with mobile devices, adding to the fluidity of the atmosphere, he said.

The expected timing of the La Grange store's opening, along with its location near facilities where the new store model was developed, made it an ideal place to roll out the new design, Fine said.